Baiwen Xu
Directing
Biography
I grew up in a megacity in China called Hangzhou. For years, I witnessed how fast a city could grow and the incredible speed of people moving in. One side was enormous economic miracles. Another side was inequality led by high housing prices caused by rapid changes. Like in "After Algos," people see inequality but behave differently. They cheer, they accept, and they riot. "After Algos" is not just a film about a machine; it’s about the humans behind it. I started filmmaking before the pandemic and worked as a cinematographer/director in recent years. My first film participated was also a sci-fi film Orange Cube Project shot in Shanghai, China. After that, I started doing commercial work/music videos with talented musicians. Then I found myself digging into narrative film production after I moved to Champaign, IL. I shot different films involving drama, horror, sports, crime, experimental, etc.
Known For
In a waiting room in the space between the living and the beyond, an unlikely pair sits impatiently for their final reckoning.
The Waiting Room, or Eggs in Purgatory
Stumbling on the mythical House of Lost Things, an explorer must choose between her missing childhood stuffed animal and a future-telling telescope with the answer to all her fears.
Telescope
[After Algos] tells the story of Dr. Richter, a half-crazy, half-genius young scientist whose invention has the ability to transfer pain from one person to another. Though his intentions are good, he is blinded by passion and he is imprisoned for unethical experimentation. While Richter languishes in prison, the Algos becomes a commercialized product, turning into a symbol of greed and class disparity. What begins as a project with a mission to bring relief to humanity quickly descends into madness. This film will leave viewers in disarray, questioning modern day society and the limits of human compassion.
After Algos
When his time machine fails, a time-traveling salesman is stranded in a strange room outside of time. As memories resurface, he must decide whether to continue running from his past or finally face the imperfect reality he once abandoned.
The Tomorrow Problem
Two friends use their item-swapping abilities to fight a man who, when struck, transforms the setting around them.
Dumbass 2
Five young martial artists are at odds as they wrestle with the weight of expectations, learning to master the five Wuxing elements: fire, water, earth, metal, and wood.